Does the schock wave in a highly ionized non-isothermal plasma really exist ?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the existence of shock waves in highly ionized, non-isothermal plasmas, concluding that only solitary ion-sound waves can propagate, characterized by charge separation and electric double layers.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of shock wave structures in highly ionized non-isothermal plasmas, highlighting the dominance of ion-sound solitons over traditional shock waves.

Findings

Shock waves are replaced by ion-sound solitons in such plasmas.

Charge separation leads to electric double layers within the wave.

The amplitude and width of these waves are quantitatively determined.

Abstract

Here we study the structure of a highly ionizing shock wave in a gas of high atmospheric pressure. We take into account the gas ionization when the gas temperature reaches few orders of an ionization potential. It is shown that after gasdynamic temperature-raising shock and formation of a highly-ionized nonisothermal plasma $T_e>>T_i$ only the solitary ion-sound wave (soliton) can propagate in this plasma. In such a wave the charge separation occurs: electrons and ions form the double electric layer with the electric field. The shock wave form, its amplitude and front width are obtained.